1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the message transmission, and more particularly to a message transmitting method using a short message service that enables a mobile terminal user to successively transmit a message.
2. Background of the Related Art
As is well known, a short message service (SMS) is a service that enables a mobile station to exchange simple characters and figures with a base station or an external device capable of communicating with the base station. The mobile station supporting the SMS receives a data burst message and decodes the encoded message while it monitors a paging channel allocated to the corresponding mobile station.
In case that the mobile station is in an idle state, its access to the system function is limited, and in this state, the mobile station monitors the paging channel.
At this time, the base station transmits the paging message and SMS message to the mobile station through the paging channel. Also, the mobile station may transmit a limited SMS message to the base station using an access channel.
Generally, when the user intends to transmit a text message using the SMS, the length of the message is limited to only the length permitted by a communication service provider.
Accordingly, in case of transmitting a long message, it should be divided into a plurality of short messages, and the receiver's number and reply number should be selected for each short message.
Hereinafter, a conventional method of transmitting a long message using the SMS will be explained with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating the conventional method of transmitting a long message using the SMS.
Referring to FIG. 1, the user first selects a text message transmission menu of a mobile terminal (step S10).
After selecting the transmission menu (step S10), the user inputs a receiver's number to which the user intends to transmit the long message, and then inputs a reply number of the user (step S11).
After inputting the receiver's number and reply number (step S11), the user prepares the text message (step S12).
Here, the length of the prepared text message is limited to the number of characters permitted by the communication service provider, for example, within 80 bytes.
After preparing the text message (step S12), the user transmits the prepared text message to the inputted receiver's number (step S13).
After transmitting the text message (step S13), the user's mobile terminal waits for completion of transmission until the message transmission to the inputted receiver's number (step S14).
After waiting for the completion of transmission (step S14), the user judges whether there is any message to be transmitted in addition to the previously transmitted message (step S15).
If it is judged that there is the message to be additionally transmitted as a result of judgement (step S15), the user prepares and transmits to the receiver's number the additional message by repeating the above-described steps.
Meanwhile, if it is judged that there is no further message to be additionally transmitted as a result of judgement (step S15), the user terminates the transmission of the text message.
However, according to the conventional long message transmitting method using the SMS, the length of the text message is limited to the number of characters permitted by the service provider, i.e., within 80 bytes, and thus in order to transmit the message whose length exceeds 80 bytes, the message should be divided into several short messages. Also, the menu selection process, input of the receiver's name and reply number, and waiting for completion of text transmission should be repeated for each divided short message.